Unexpected Acceptance
by Harmony Valenka Smith
Summary: Discrimination is formed to protect people, but, in the process, it also harms. Wolves have long been criminals and have brought a lot of pain. It is wrong to trust any one of them since none of them have good intentions. Right? Discrimination crumbles through the most powerful force in the world: love. Rated T for sequences of mild violence, blood, and intense scenes.
1. Chapter 1: Rebel

**All right, so here's one of my** ** _Kung Fu Panda_** **stories. I may be doing the other one I had in mind soon, but I may be more inclined to work on something else. I do not own the rights to** ** _Kung Fu Panda._** **All rights to all products go to their proper owners. So, I hope you enjoy "Unexpected Acceptance."**

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Chapter 1: Rebel

It was night. The wolves were on the prowl. They were raiding villages of jewels, money, valuables, and any person worth ransom or bounty. They were lawless and not liked by citizen and criminal alike. They were led by an older wolf whose heart was made of cold stone. He was the father of two of the other members, one boy and one girl. The boy had always been with him, whereas the girl tended to wander. She was back with him, but regretting her decision. She decided that, for once, she'd do what she needed to do.

She stood in front of her pack in the middle of a village. This village happened to be the Valley of Peace and the pack knew not to linger there, for kung fu masters would most certainly come for them. "I will not let you steal another Yuan, father," she said.

The patriarch laughed. "My foolish daughter, this is our life, our way of being, how we make our living. Would you deny your very birthright?"

"I will use the magic if even one of your men take another step forward," she said firmly.

"Well, then you leave me no choice. All wolves advance now and restrain my daughter. I will not have this night ruined," said the father.

All of the wolves began coming at her at once and she quickly began fighting them off. Through her wanderings, she had learned kung fu from multiple masters and had become quite good at it. None of the wolves that came at her could get near enough to grab her.

Suddenly, there was a voice that cut through the chaos. "Hey! Cut it out!" The voice had come from a large panda. They didn't know him, but he was accompanied by the ones that the gang knew as the Furious Five.

"Who are you, panda?" asked the patriarch of the gang.

"I am Po, the Dragon Warrior, and we are here to put an end to your robbing and pillaging," answered the panda.

"Hm, that's amusing. My daughter, would you be so kind as to 'use the magic' on them?" asked the leader.

In a siren voice, the girl began harmonizing a song, but it was not affecting any of the kung fu masters, it was affecting the very gang she had come there with. The father, noticing that his daughter's voice was putting his men to sleep, made a signal to his remaining soldiers to silence her. One of them threw a rock at her that knocked the air from her chest. She fell over, coughing for air. The leader knocked his staff on the ground and his warriors were at the ready once more.

They were at a standstill for a moment before he called out: "Scatter!" In a whirlwind of chaos, the gang started running away in different directions. The Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior spread out and were making quick work of the wolves. In the end, they were able to get a quarter of them before they realized the others had escaped.

The girl with the siren voice was still where she had collapsed and was merely sitting there, waiting for them. "You too, come on," said Tigress.

"I was trying to help… or are you so blind as to see all wolves as being criminals?" asked the girl.

"You still came with them, you must have had some intentions," said Mantis.

"Very well, if you wish I should come with you, I will come. It does not change what happened," replied the girl.

The wolves were brought back to the Jade Palace to be placed in the dungeon. They were told guards would come for them in the morning to take them to Chorh Gom prison. The girl, however, had different plans.

Later that night, the girl managed to put the others to sleep and escape. She didn't get very far though. "Going somewhere?" came a voice. She turned and saw the one whom she knew to be Master Shifu.

"Master Shifu," she replied with respect.

"Your kind has brought much pain to many people. Don't bring any more," he said.

"I am not them," she said simply. She began walking away and, little did either of them know, Po was listening.

Shifu advanced in front of her and said, "You must pay for the crimes you have done."

"I am _not_ a criminal. Well, at least not this time. I was actually trying to help, to stop them. I only wish that my father would listen to me more, then he might not be in that profession any longer."

"No good has come from a wolf. I ask that you return to your cell before I have to force you."

"Master Shifu," came a voice. They turned to the entry and saw Po standing there.

Master Shifu sighed. "Panda, you need to understand-"

"I _do_ understand. Master, this is no way to treat anyone. Blaming an entire species on one person isn't right or fair," said Po.

"She cannot be trusted," replied Shifu.

"Neither can anyone else, but everyone deserves a chance."

Shifu sighed. "All right. I put her in your care. You are responsible for her. If she does something wrong, you must turn her over. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Master Shifu."

"Good. I will see you in the morning, panda, and, with any luck, I _won't_ be seeing _her_ for very long."

Po turned to the girl. "Hey, I'm Po, the Dragon Warrior," he said, extending a hand.

"Yes, you already introduced yourself," she said. She paused before taking his hand and saying, "I am Daiyu. You may call me Dai if you wish though."

"It's nice to meet you, Dai," said Po as they shook hands. When they parted, he said, "Come on, I'll show you to the barracks, you'll get a better bed there."

"Thank you, Dragon Warrior."

"You can call me Po."

"Thank you… Po." She gave a shadow of a smile before the two headed off to the barracks. He took the floor and offered her his bed. It was only after a little rebuff that she accepted. The rest of the night in the Valley of Peace was quiet with sleep.

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 **I hope you guys liked the first chapter. Let me know what you think and, if you have any suggestions for me, tell me those too. Please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)**


	2. Chapter 2: Daylight

Chapter 2: Daylight

Dai's ear twitched in her sleep. She was a light sleeper from experience. When the rays of the dawning sun peeked through the shades, her eyes, though closed, became aware of it. She hadn't gotten much sleep in the previous night. She was far too used to being ambushed for various reasons.

Now, she might have ignored the sun for a few more minutes, like she usually did in the mornings, had it not been for a blunt interruption. A loud snoring broke out from the panda sleeping on the floor, nearly making Dai jump out of bed. It occurred to her that she might not have noticed it before since she was in a deeper sleep than she had thought… or perhaps his position had changed? Dai knew snoring was all about how the person was positioned and what kind of life they led.

Dai turned to her side and looked at the panda, assessing him. _Extra fat, but not out of the ordinary for a panda. On the contrary, this might actually be healthy, by the standards of the species. Sleeping on one's back does not help the snoring either, it merely amplifies it._ Then she considered what kind of life he must lead. _A kung fu master, being trained by a higher master, must receive a lot of stress upon his body and mind. Meditation can help with this and a sense of inner peace, but perhaps there is something more?_

The panda began snorting before smacking his lips and slowly opening his eyelids. Not wanting to be caught watching the master sleep, Dai turned over quickly and tried to find something interesting within her closed eyelids.

She heard the panda get up and yawn deeply and instantly became aware of a strong morning breath. She sensed eyes on her back for a moment before the panda rose, opened the slide, and closed it as he left. Dai turned back over and looked at the vacant spot. With a sigh, she got up and decided to see where he went.

Before she could catch up with the panda, she was pounced on from behind. Craning her eyes to see who it was, she caught yellow orbs looking into her white ones. _Feline, tiger, Master Tigress!_ Dai gasped and tried to get up, but was restrained.

"What are you doing here, wolf?" asked Master Tigress.

"Please, Master Tigress, I don't want to fight," said Dai.

"Good, I don't want to have to clean up any blood either," replied the tiger. The sarcasm came as a surprise to Dai and made her shiver.

"Tigress!" came a voice. Dai looked to where the voice had come. It was Po, the panda, and he didn't look like he agreed with anything that was going on.

"Stay out of this, Po," said Tigress.

"Let her go, she isn't going to hurt anyone. Besides, Shifu put me in charge of her and I'm going to do what I was told. Now, let her up," said Po. His look was determined, but there was an underlying friendliness there that only the wise and the people close to him would be able to detect.

Tigress swished her tail back and forth, considering. She then got up and let Dai get up. Po and Tigress had a quick stare-down before Po went back to wherever it was he had come. Dai was about to follow him before Tigress stepped into her path.

"If you do anything to harm anyone in the Valley of Peace or the Jade Palace, you will regret ever coming here," said Tigress.

"Respectfully, Master Tigress, if you touch me again, you'll wish you'd never known me," replied Dai. The two snarled at each other, but Tigress was the first to walk away. Dai snorted unapprovingly before going in the direction Po had gone.

Dai found Po in the kitchen. He was making breakfast, it appeared, and the rest of the Furious Five were already gathered at the table, along with Shifu. She was met with a cold reception. They all stared at her as if evil incarnate had just walked into the room. _Well,_ Dai reasoned with in herself, _I cannot blame them. Most of my species carries that bad reputation._ Without a word, Dai sat down at the table, well within everyone's view. While her defiance was silent in words, it was not silent in any other respect.

Po seemed to be talking about noodles, or something along those lines, before he turned around and went silent. "Guys, this is Daiyu; Daiyu, this is Masters Mantis, Viper, Shifu, Crane, Monkey… and Tigress," Po introduced. It was shortly before the last introduction that Master Tigress entered the room and took a seat. Despite the introduction, the room was still quite cold. "Well, anyway, here's breakfast." Po poured some soup into some bowls and handed one to everyone seated.

Now, the others had silently scooted farther away from Daiyu, leaving the only chair remaining the one beside her on her left. Po took that seat without question nor the slightest emotion indicating how he felt about the placement. Daiyu was a little surprised, especially when he personally handed her a bowl instead of placing it on the table in front of her. The meal went by rather normally after that, but never once during the meal did Daiyu forget the coldness emanating from all of the group excepting Po. The Dragon Warrior radiated a warmness in his friendly manners and openness toward others.

After breakfast, everyone went to the training hall. As Po and the five trained, Shifu made Daiyu sit near him. From the glances she received from the small master, she might as well have been sitting there in the nude. His knowing eyes were laying her bare, searching for a secret motive or, well, anything secret. Shifu was renowned for his wisdom and ability to handle a situation quickly and efficiently. So, Daiyu began focusing on the others training.

The moves were familiar to her. She had, in her mind, only received enough training to get by on, but her family would tell her time and again how remarkable her skills were. _Yeah, right, remarkable for helping you hurt people._ She looked sad then and hugged her knees to her chest. She was lost in thought and jumped a little when Shifu tapped his staff authoritatively, causing the training to stop.

Daiyu looked up and noticed it was high noon already. She instantly became aware of her body once again and made to get up, but was stopped by Shifu's staff. "Yes, Master Shifu?" she asked.

"Why don't you show us what you can do?" asked the small master.

"Why? So you can use it against me if I turn out to be evil?" she asked warily. Shifu's ear made a twitch, a signature thing for him to do when he was agitated or slightly amused. If Daiyu had to choose between one or the other, she would probably choose the former. "All right," she said.

She went through the obstacle course and, in areas of grace and balance she did better at than strength. When she made it back to the other side, Shifu's ear twitched again. He looked at her, assessing her. He then waved a hand and everyone followed him outside.

Once out there, he took a spear and threw it at Daiyu. Without really thinking, she dodged it and caught it. "What was that for? You nearly killed me!" she exclaimed. She was panting from the quick adrenaline rush.

"The next time I ask you to do something, do not hold back," said Shifu.

"One, it's kind of hard to think clearly with the eyes of judgment on your back; Two, you are not my master and you do not have the authority to order me around as you see fit," said Daiyu.

"On the contrary, Daiyu, you are now living under my rules and as such-"

"Let me stop you right there." Everyone gasped at the audacity. No one interrupted Shifu, not even when he was droning on and on about something. "You said so yourself that I am under Po's care. As such, I listen to what _he_ tells me. Even though he does what you say, that does not mean I have to as well." Shifu looked as if he were containing his anger, willing himself not to explode.

"You're quite right." He turned to Po and said, "Po, I want you to take Daiyu into town for some supplies. Be back in time for dinner."

"Yes, Master Shifu," said Po respectfully. He looked to Daiyu and she followed.

As they went down the steps, Shifu and the five looked on. "What are you looking for, Master?" asked Viper.

"If she wants to speak out against me, I will merely have to remind her where she is and where we are," said Master Shifu. He went back inside and most of them followed. Viper remained a moment, still looking on. Something in her heart told her this wasn't right and resolved to do what she could to fix it. After all, she had been hated once too.

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 **Well, nothing much to say here except, please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)**

 **Also, I have constructed a poll and put it on my profile page. I will be using it to get my readers' opinions on what story(s) I should write next. If you'd like to cast your votes, please do. Thanks!**


	3. Chapter 3: Prejudice

Chapter 3: Prejudice

It was a long trek down the stairs into the village below. Po panted heavily from the trip. Dai followed him dutifully and had even helped him down the stairs when the trek was getting too long or difficult. Perhaps it was honor or maybe Dai just felt sorry for just how hard he was taking it. Nonetheless, they had made it.

"All right! I am starving. Let's head over to my dad's place and we can get some lunch," said Po.

"You have your father cook for you?" asked Dai.

"Well, he cooks for everybody. He owns a restaurant: Ping's Noodle Shop," explained Po.

"Oh," said Dai in realization.

As they walked through the town, the villagers would give glares to Dai as she passed them. They'd say hi to Po when he said hi to them, but there was nothing but silence given to Dai. It wasn't like she wasn't used to such treatment, but it still made her sad.

When they arrived at Ping's, a small grey goose (small in comparison to Po) greeted the panda affectionately. "Dad, this is Daiyu. She's going to be staying here for a while," Po introduced.

"An honor to meet you, Mr. Ping," said Dai respectfully.

"Of course, of course, just make yourself at home," said Mr. Ping. Dai bowed again. "Uh, son, may I speak with you for a moment?"

"Sure, Dad," said Po.

"In the kitchen?"

"Uh, sure."

The two left and Dai found herself alone. She seated herself at a table and it wasn't long before customers either migrated out of the restaurant or as far away from her as possible. Mr. Ping watched all of this through his window and looked at Po reproachfully.

"What?" asked Po.

"I think you know what, Po," said Mr. Ping.

"Dad, there's nothing wrong with her, she's not a criminal," said Po.

"Yes, of course, Po. Every time someone trusts a wolf, they wind up in trouble. Wolves steal, lie, murder, and destroy everything around them."

"She's not like that, Dad."

"Perhaps not now, but she will get you into trouble and I don't want to see anything bad happen to you."

"There's something different about her, Dad. I don't know what it is, but-"

"Son, I love you. I also love how open you are with other people and how much you want to see the good in people, but trust me when I say there is no good in Daiyu. Wolves are bound to do what they do in nature." They both looked at Dai from the window and saw her looking sad in the corner. "I'll get you some food, but please get her out of here as soon as you can. You're scaring away the customers."

Po was angry, but he loved and respected his father too much to argue… at least, not yet. So, Mr. Ping got him some soup and dumplings and Po took Dai out of the restaurant. It didn't get any better from there either. All over town, people threw tomatoes at her, called her names, spit at her, hid from her, did everything they could to either scorn her or avoid her. By the time they had gathered half of the groceries for dinner, Dai's ears drooped low, her tail dragged on the ground, and she stared at the ground as she walked.

Po sighed. "Master Shifu never should have allowed this," he said under his breath.

"Do you resent my presence?" asked Dai.

"Dai, I may not always get the right answer, but I'm sure that you're not who they think you are."

"The only people who truly know me have exploited what I am for evil purposes. I'm tired, Po, of everything."

A scream emitted from the other side of the village and they both turned around quickly. The ground shook as a giant water buffalo approached, followed by a few smaller ones. It was Temutai, warrior king of the Qidan.

"Not this again," said Po. He approached Temutai and said, "What is it now, Temutai? Do you want me to kick your butt again?"

"As much as I would like to prove how easy it would be for _me_ to defeat _you,_ I come with a different purpose," said Temutai. Upon seeing Dai, he picked her up by her clothes and venomously said, " _You._ "

"I- I'm sorry, I've offended a lot of people in the past. Could you remind me what my crime was toward you?" asked Dai.

"You work for the Black Jade Wolf Clan. They HAVE STOLEN FROM ME!" Temutai screamed.

"I am not responsible for their actions," said Dai.

"This is not the first time they have stolen from me. The first time I came to know your clan, you were there. Your voice put my men out of their senses, leaving the wolves to take. Now, they have stolen a priceless artifact, one of our most prized possessions. I followed their trail here. Now, where are they?"

"I don't know. They wander all throughout China. I can never be sure where they'll be."

"Do you think I AM STUPID?!"

"Look, Temutai, I'm sorry for what happened in the past, but believe me when I say that I was just as much a puppet to them as your men were to my voice."

Temutai laughed. "I don't believe you."

"What would you do, Temutai? How far would you go for your family?" She paused and Temutai almost looked thoughtful. "They may be criminals, but I cannot deny the fact that in them, I have a blood brother and father and the rest of the clan I knew since I was a child. They are all family to me and I care as much, if not more, about what happens to them than myself. I cannot go against them, but I also cannot help them always. This… this wouldn't be the first time I spent time away from them."

"You _must_ know where they are."

"I don't know." Temutai threw her against a wall and she cried out in pain. She tried to get up, but felt a hoof pick her up again.

"Where are they?"

"I don't know." Temutai threw her again and Po stepped in.

"Hey! That's enough!" said Po.

"Do not involve yourself, Dragon Warrior," said Temutai. "If the artifact is not found, it shall be war upon you. That wolf is my only link to where they could have gone."

"Even if I knew where they were, I wouldn't betray them for the sake of an object," said Dai.

Temutai picked her up again, this time by the throat. "I think you know where they are. If you do not tell me, I will SNAP YOUR NECK!"

Dai struggled against the grip, but nothing could release her from the iron grip. Po was about to intervene again when Dai finally said, "North. I would try going north. If you see a mountain with multiple caves upon its side, you are close."

"Perhaps I don't have to kill you after all… but if I get there and find that you have lied to me, you will PERISH!" Temutai dropped her and she struggled for air as they left the village.

Po went over to her, but she put a hand up. "I don't need your help," she said.

"Dai, I'm sorry, I-" said Po.

"Do _not_ be sorry for me. _Ever._ I don't need to be lied to anymore. I will accept the consequences my people have brought upon themselves, even if I am not involved."

"You shouldn't have to."

"But I _must_." Dai finally stood up and began walking out of the village. "I have to go."

"Where?"

"I need to try, Po. I need to try to make up for everything my people have done. I must catch up with them before the Qidan."

"I'll go with you then."

"No. You stay here. You're needed with your people. Besides, I have already done enough damage here. I don't need your blood on my hands to add to my list." Dai walked away, but Po decided not to let her go, not without his help. He found Zeng and told him to deliver the groceries and a message to Shifu. He didn't care what everyone else thought. His heart told him this was the right thing to do… and he was sure, _so sure,_ that he wasn't wrong.

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 **Tell me what you think of it so far! If you have any ideas for the next chapter, please let me know and please keep reading and reviewing, thanks! :)**


	4. Chapter 4: Caves

Chapter 4: Caves

When Dai finally reached her pack again, they didn't receive her with the attitude she thought they would. Two of them pushed her up against the wall of the cave and her father walked up to them, a glare on his face. "Why did you lead them here?" asked her father.

"Father, let me explain-" she pleaded.

"No, Daiyu. It is over. You are no longer welcome in our midst. You have been betraying us for far too long."

"I just want what's best for you."

"Would you care to see your family rot in prison?!"

"I would care to see my family making amends for the wrongs they have committed. I want you to be in the public's favor… for all our sakes."

"You say that because you have been too often hurt and offended by the _others_ who share our existence."

"Perhaps… I just want us to live in harmony."

"There is no harmony between us. There is the common folk: the bunnies, the pigs, the geese; the do-gooders; the rich and the poor; the criminals; and finally, there's us: the outcasts and we are in a category of our own. No one will associate with us now nor in the future. It is time to accept this and stop trying. Perhaps, then, we won't have to kill you… or them." He looked out of the cave and the two wolves restraining Daiyu brought her over to look.

"Po…" It was true. Po had followed her. _What have I brought upon myself… upon others?_

"You will not know peace. Not ever. _They_ have made sure of that."

"No, father, it was _us._ "

"Who maintains the stereotype?"

"Who commits the crime that helps them maintain the stereotype?"

Her father growled harshly at her. "Leave us… and if you know what is right, you will not interfere."

"If legend be true, I won't have to." They had heard some of the legends of the Dragon Warrior. They hadn't heard about who it was until they reached the Valley of Peace, but they knew of the stories.

Daiyu was released and she stopped Po before he got to the caves. The Qidan were not far from there. "We have to get out of here," said Daiyu.

"I'm not letting anything bad happen," said Po.

"I have no more responsibility with the Clan; my father has kicked me out."

"Doesn't that mean you're in danger?"

"If I get in their way, yes. If I run, no. Of course, history can say which I'm best at." Dai reflected on the times she had run and those very few times where she had even uttered a word of rebuttal. Running happened much more frequently.

"Have you always run?"

"That was usually my escape… but they're my family. As much as I hate to get in their way, I want to do it to help them."

"Look, Dai, sometimes, you just need to let go. If there are people in your life who are taking you down a bad path, you need to stay away from them."

"Then, perhaps, Dragon Warrior, it would be in _your_ best interest to stay away from _me._ I can bring you nothing but shame and scorn."

"Temutai! If you have come for your relic, you have come in vain!" shouted out Dai's father from the caves.

"You will return it or we will take it from you!" said Temutai.

"What exactly was it that they took?" asked Po to Dai.

"If I had to guess, it would probably be-" said Dai but was interrupted.

"The Horn of Cheung shall be used by us, for us, and for no one else. Perhaps, with a little luck, the fates may change in our favor. Wolves might become well-revered, rich, or perhaps I might even win back my daughter's approval," said Dai's father.

"We do not care! Cheung was one of _our_ ancestors and it was promised to him that it would be protected from all outsiders," said Temutai. It was strange to see Temutai like this. Usually, he would use an object like this to try to gain control or be a bully. Seeing him wanting to protect the object meant that it held significant value with the Qidan. It might be more dangerous than anyone would dare to say.

"Come and get it, then." Dai's father sniggered.

"Very well. Prepare to be vanquished!" The Clan and the Qidan struck swords and it occurred to Dai and Po that they should probably do something.

"We need to stop them from killing each other," said Dai.

"I'll distract them while you grab the horn," said Po.

"You trust me to do that?"

Po shrugged. "Have you done this type of thing before?"

"Thought about it… let's do it." Po then joined the brawl. Wolves and water buffalo went flying everywhere.

Then, Dai came up to her father and grabbed the horn. He pulled back, refusing to let go. "What are you doing, daughter?" he asked.

"I am trying to do something that which you refuse to do, no matter how hard I plead," said Dai.

Her father growled, "I am trying to help our clan, our people. I am trying to do what's right by them."

"But is that what's right for anyone else? Face it, father, you only think of yourself." Her father let go in shock, causing Dai to fall to the ground, horn in hand.

"Don't you dare imply that I'm selfish. You do not know your own father. You have assumed incorrectly and disgraced me."

"Then, perhaps, it would be better if we never spoke again."

"Perhaps it would be best, daughter, if this was the last time we see each other."

"If that's the way it has to be, then so be it." Dai ran off.

"Stop her!" shouted her father. The Clan pursued her as she tried to shake them off.

She soon came up to Temutai and he knocked her pursuers off their feet. With a simple melody, she put any remaining pursuers to sleep. Her father, angered, called the retreat. Any men left standing picked up the sleepers and they were off into the night.

"We shall have our revenge, Daiyu! I swear, you shall never have peace among them nor among us for the rest of your days!" These were her father's last words before he vanished into the distance.

Daiyu sighed and handed the horn to Temutai. "I am sorry for everything my father and his people have put you and your people through. I hope this can, in some small way, make amends."

"Your help was appreciated, but we are far from forgiveness. Upon our honor though, we owe you a debt," said Temutai.

"I hope I shall never need to call in that favor," said Dai. She bowed respectfully and Temutai, likewise, bent his large frame.

"Come on, we should head back," said Po.

"I do not think it would be best if I returned with you," said Dai.

Po thought about this a moment before offering a suggestion. "What if I take you someplace else?"

"Where did you have in mind?" Po smiled in response.

* * *

 **That's all for now. If you have any ideas for me, just let me know. Please keep reading and reviewing, thanks.**

 **Also, for those of you who haven't voted on the poll on my profile, please do. You can pick between one and three choices for what story I should write next. I would really appreciate the input. Thanks!**


	5. Chapter 5: Peaches and Peace

Chapter 5: Peaches and Peace

It was a good climb to get to where they had to go. They eventually made it to what Po introduced as "The Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom." He offered her a peach before taking one for himself. They both sat down and looked out to the horizon. They saw the sky changing color. It was nearly sunrise.

Dai didn't eat her peach at first and when she looked over to Po, she saw he had a few in his hands. She shook her head and smiled. It reminded her of times when her family was closer, back… back when she and her brother had been close.

"What's wrong?" asked Po. She turned to see him looking at her with a question in his face.

"I just got lost in thought for a moment, that's all," she replied.

"Yeah, sometimes I think about other things too, especially when Master Shifu's giving a boring lecture. I'll think about my dad at the noodle shop, I'll think about noodles, I'll think about bean buns…" he left off there.

She smiled again. Po was sweet and funny. She only wished she could be with him more without everyone looking at them like the plague had infected them.

"It seems like you have more on your mind than food right now," said Po.

"It is difficult to get over a lot of things from the past when they keep haunting your present," said Dai.

"I think Master Shifu would tell you that you need inner peace."

"Yeah… good luck getting me there."

"I'm serious, Dai. After I found out the truth about my past and came to terms with it, I became a lot better as a whole. Finding inner peace is not forgetting what happened or avenging what had happened, but it is through coming to terms with who you are, past, present, and future."

"Shouldn't you have more gray hairs to be that wise?"

"Oh, so we're making jokes now, are we?"

"Perhaps we are. What are _we_ going to do about it?" Her eyes challenged him. Sadly, their conversation ended here with the sound of the morning gong.

"Sorry, I have to go. See you later!" Po ran off toward the Jade Palace and Dai's smile faded.

"There goes the only person in this world, outside of my pack, to see a piece of who I really am."

Meanwhile, at the Training Hall, the Furious Five had already begun their training for the day. Master Shifu watched on and it wasn't long before Po came in with Dai trailing quietly behind him. Po was out of breath, but Dai didn't seem the worse for the run.

"Po, Daiyu, we've been waiting for you," said Master Shifu. The Five stopped training and came over. There was a deadly silence that was broken by Po.

"Well, no need to stop on our account. We were just coming back from a mission," said Po. The silence continued for a moment. "The Qidan were missing something and we got it back, right, Dai?"

"Yeah, it wasn't that big of a deal," said Dai.

"Daiyu, since you show some talent in kung fu, perhaps you could show us how well you are at sparring," said Master Shifu.

"I have no objection," said Dai.

"Perhaps I can be your sparring partner," said Tigress. The look in her eyes looked like murder instead of friendly sparring though.

"Sure, why not?" said Dai. Tigress's technique was more towards the offensive while Dai's technique tended more toward the defensive. After a few good blocks though, Dai found an opening and struck back. Tigress was shocked for a moment too long and Dai took the advantage by trying to end the match then and there. All she needed was a particular hold that could hold Tigress to the ground. However, this was not allowed. Dai was thrown back and hit the wall. Tigress came at her and Dai did her best, but was unable to block all of the blows. Dai submitted to defeat.

The match ended when Shifu snapped his fingers. Tigress was about ready to leave when Dai called out, "I suppose I should be glad that wasn't a real fight." Tigress turned around. "Or was it?"

"You would do no better either way," said Tigress.

"Didn't you ever think that maybe it was too easy? Master Shifu was right yesterday. I was holding back. I learned long ago the consequences of kung fu were too much for me. I usually only use those skills if I have to fight. Now, do you want to see what I can really do or can we forget about all of this?"

"Tigress, don't," said Viper.

"I respect you all as masters, I really do, but I cannot respect you as people. If you cannot accept me, how can you accept anyone else for who they are? _I_ accept the fact that I'm a wolf and people have a prejudice against me automatically for something others of my kind have done. Do me a favor: if nothing else, learn to judge me by _my_ wrongs and keep my people out of it. I'm not the one that needs to change their mind here, it's you," said Dai. She walked past them out the door. Po followed her.

"We'll continue training after lunch," said Shifu.

"The nerve of her, telling us we need to change," said Mantis.

"Yeah, who does she think she is?" asked Crane.

"She's the one who needs the attitude adjustment," said Monkey.

"And I'd be just the one to give it," said Tigress.

Viper couldn't help it, after hearing all of this, but to think on how they got here. They had each come from pasts where they had been laughed at, where they had been outcasts, where they had been hated, mocked, and ridiculed. How could they now turn the tables on Dai? It is true that Dai was the first of her kind who seemed to have good intentions, but if it was true for her, couldn't it also be true for others?

After they had all gotten back from Gongmen City, it was rumored that one of the wolves was killed because he stood up for what was right. Then again, it had been for the defense of his brothers, other wolves. Was it so strange for a wolf to do something like that when any other animal would do the same?

The Five, Shifu, Po, and Dai went down to the Valley to have lunch at Mr. Ping's. It was easier for customers to stick around with so many other masters to keep Dai in line, but she still felt their eyes on her. It still hurt, but she was coming to the sad realization that it probably wouldn't change unless something big happened.

There was a sudden sound of screaming that pierced the silence. Someone ran by and everyone stayed still. Dai looked onto the street and saw why no one had said anything: it was a wolf running from danger. There was an even bigger wolf not long on her tail.

"Aren't any of you going to do anything?" asked Dai to the masters.

"Po, stay here," said Shifu.

"But, Shifu-" protested Po.

"You're staying here," said Tigress. Po was angry, but before he could react further, Dai had already left.

Dai ran into the path of the big wolf. Everyone stepped out to watch. The wolf that had been the one being pursued stopped where she was… and everyone gasped at what she was holding in her arms: three bunny babies.

"Into the shadows, little ones," she said. "Yao, this has gone on far enough."

"Mei, for your protection, step back," said Dai.

"I'm not leaving you to fight this alone," said Mei. Yao swatted at them and while Dai was able to dodge it, Mei was struck and collided with a wall. She was out cold.

"Really, Yao? Do we have to go through this again?" asked Dai.

"Your threats mean less to me than the breeze on my back," Yao snorted.

"If you saw them for what they are, you would not speak so."

Yao laughed. "What are they then?"

"Warnings… and this is the last one I'm giving you."

Yao towered over her, just as Temutai did. "I am not afraid."

"You should be." Yao laughed as he picked her up and threw her into a chimney nearby. She fell back to the ground and the chimney was dangerously close to falling on top of her.

Then, in moves like lightning, Dai charged Yao and delivered blow after blow. The movements were quick, firm, and precise. Her opponent was on the ground in moments and was quickly tossed aside. The chimney collapsed on top of him and, even though it wasn't immediate, he came out of the rubble.

"How… how did you do that?" he asked, in a daze.

"I do what I have to do to protect my family," replied Dai. She looked back and saw Mei had gotten up and was embracing the bunnies lovingly. "Now, get out and don't let me see you near here again."

Once he had left, Mei gave Dai a hug and the little bunnies did likewise. "You did very well, Dai," she said.

"Thank you," said Dai, feeling the pain slowly overcome her as the adrenaline wore off.

"Easy, Dai…" Mei said. She caught Dai as she passed out.

Po was finally allowed to go toward them and rushed quickly to Dai's side. He picked her up and Mei smiled. "There is goodness in you. Don't let others stop you from showing it. You might just save our people," said Mei. The little bunnies followed her as they left town.

Po carried Dai all the way up the steps, even though she woke up halfway there. He took her to his room and laid her on his bed. "I'm fine, Po, really," said Dai.

"No, you're not. You've taken a lot of hitting today. You need time to recover," said Po. He stood up to leave when Viper came in with the acupuncture kit.

"I thought you were going to let me recover, not inflict more pain," said Dai in a panic.

"You've never had acupuncture before?" asked Po.

"One traumatizing experience is enough," said Dai with a painful laugh.

"It's not that bad. You don't even feel most of them," said Po.

"Maybe I can sing for you to distract you from the pain?" asked Viper.

"Okay," said Dai. She was scared of the first few needles, but slowly felt her pain melt away. She drifted off to sleep and she felt like she was on the road to more peace.

The needles were eventually removed and Po silently thanked Viper for helping. He knew that she often sang for the rest of the team whenever they got injured, so it was nice to see that Viper had accepted Dai as one of the team… or, at least, as a friend. It was getting better, no matter how slow the progress, it would keep heading that way. It had to.

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 **Another little chapter. More to come, so please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)**


	6. Chapter 6: Food Conquers

**Sorry about the slow update. Here's the new chapter! I hope you all enjoy :)**

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Chapter 6: Food Conquers

It was the following morning and Dai still felt sore from the fight with Yao, but significantly better than she would have been without the acupuncture. She got up before anyone else did and went to the kitchen. She decided that she would cook breakfast for them. She remembered times when she convinced the stubbornest people to see things her way with food.

It wasn't long and the warriors started roaming in. "Hey, Dai. What's all this?" asked Po.

"I wanted to cook for you to, you know, be useful. I need you to know that I am a person… my species is not who I am," said Dai.

" _Good indicator though,_ " said Tigress under her breath. Dai heard this and her ear twitched. She pretended not to be offended and moved on.

"Anyway, I hope you all like it," said Dai. The meal was quiet. It was only through Po starting up a conversation that the air grew less heavy. He and Dai talked and got to know each other better. While the others were steeped in silence or prejudice, Dai and Po talked.

When the meal was over and they were getting ready to go to the training hall, Monkey and Mantis stayed behind with Viper, Dai, and Po. Monkey spoke first, "That was a very good meal, Daiyu. I wanted to apologize for my rudeness before. I remember when Po first came here and no one really supported him or respected him."

"Hey!" said Po.

" _But,_ after getting to know Po more and trying his food, we learned more about him. Now, we're all friends," said Mantis.

"Hm… does this mean that by cooking you food, I have changed your minds about me?" asked Dai.

"Hey, anyone who cooks that well can't be all bad," said Monkey.

"Thank you, guys, that means a lot to me," said Dai with a small smile.

"Hey, don't worry about it. If we can get past how clumsy Po is-" said Mantis.

"And how he obviously is not the normal kind of kung fu warrior-" said Monkey.

"Despite what we originally thought about Po," said Viper with a glare to the boys. "We got to know him. The others will come around too, you'll see."

Monkey, Viper, and Mantis started heading to the training hall. Dai laughed and said, "You got some good friends here, Po."

"You could say they're like a second family to me," said Po.

"I think if they were, Mantis and Monkey would be little brothers annoying everyone and Viper would be an older sister that takes care of everyone."

"I always saw Tigress as the older sister."

"If you're all kids here, then that makes Shifu a very stressed-out dad."

"I guess so." They both knew the story of Tai Lung and how much like a father Shifu _could_ be.

"Well, come on, then. Let's get going." Dai and Po followed the others to the training hall.

During their training, however, Dai broke away. She went down to the village to Ping's Noodle Shop. She wanted to talk to Po's father, if he would let her.

When Mr. Ping saw her, he was quick to reprimand, "What are you doing here?! Do you want to scare away my customers?!"

"Mr. Ping, I just wanted to talk to you," she said.

"Oh, so you can learn where I keep all my valuables? Well, I'm not talking."

"I'm not here to talk about that. I wanted the honor of talking to the goose who raised Po."

"Oh, so you want to learn his weaknesses? Well, you're gonna have to go through me first."

Dai sighed and suppressed an eye roll. "I just wanna talk. I wanna know how Po came to be how he is today. He's so kind and understanding. He sees the good in even the worst places. He's also very funny. I am sure that such fine characteristics must be due to his awesome upbringing." Mr. Ping gave her a long stare. Dai added, "I'm hungry and I have yuan."

"Well, why didn't you say so? Come , let's have that talk."

It was around lunch time that Po came in and saw the two talking. Dai was helping serve the customers food and she and Mr. Ping were chatting away like old friends. Po would have been more touched by this had he not heard his dad telling embarrassing stories from his childhood.

" _Dad_ ," said Po, trying to nudge his dad to stop.

"Oh, Po, there you are. I have been having a good day for customers. When Daiyu came and asked me to tell her stories about you, others began listening in too," said Mr. Ping.

"Everyone likes a good origin story," said Dai. She walked off to wait on more customers and Mr. Ping pulled his son aside.

"I had my doubts about her at first, but she really is good with people. One minute, I'll be telling stories about you and the next she'll be telling stories about _her_ adventures. _And…_ " he hesitated and admitted, somewhat begrudgingly, "She really is a good cook. We've been swapping ideas all day. I can't wait to try some of them on customers."

Po looked on as Dai was telling a small group of children a story about how she helped save someone from a ferocious dog. He went to sit in on the story. She told one after the other of not just stories from her adventures, but stories Po remembered as well. She told old legends, old tales, and newer ones featuring him with such a light in her eyes and with words that entranced the audience.

Po lost track of how long he had been listening, but was reminded when Dai brought up the subject of supper. Po shook out of his thoughts. "It's dinner already?" he asked.

"Yeah, where've you been?" Dai asked teasingly.

"I guess I was too caught up in your stories. You told ones I've never heard and the ones that I had heard before were told in a way that made them new again."

Dai smiled. "I'm glad you liked it, Po. I'm glad I got to be down here and be understood for once."

"If you have more stories like that, you should come back again tomorrow," said Mr. Ping.

"I'm sure I can come up with a few," said Dai.

"That sounds awesome!" said Po. They agreed on arrangements for tomorrow and Po and Dai had dinner there. It was all coming along so well. People were finally opening up to her and seeing her as a person. She wished it could last… she _hoped_ it could last.

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 **That's all for now. Please let me know any ideas you guys have for future chapters. I am totally open to suggestions! Until next chapter, please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)**


	7. Chapter 7: The Howls

Chapter 7: The Howls

It was the next day and Po and Dai were having dinner at Mr. Ping's. It had been a relatively calm day, comparatively. People were starting to see Dai as a person and not just a wolf. Children flocked to her for stories and some adults listened in as well to reminisce on where they were at the time of those tales. Po was seeing her as a friend, definitely. Dai was happy with how far she had come. It wasn't everything, but it was enough.

"Hey, Dai," Po's voice roused her from her thoughts.

"Yeah, Po?" she asked.

"I was wondering if you'd like to go on a walk with me." When she hesitated, he started sputtering. "I mean, it's not a date, it's just that I need to go on patrol. So…"

"I'd love to," Dai replied with a smile.

They started making their way out of the Valley of Peace. They stopped in a bamboo forest for a snack. The sun was setting and it was getting time for them to head back. As they began walking though, there came a sound that could not be mistaken for anything else: howling.

Dai paled. "That's a distress call. I'm sorry, I have to go," she said.

"Wait, let me help!" said Po.

"I won't let you get hurt for me. Just go back and don't follow me." She began running off on all-fours. Po couldn't keep up with her.

He was feeling bad that he couldn't help her, so he started making his way back. The climb up the steps to the Jade Palace were all the lonelier and all the drearier without her there. When he reached the top, however, she was leaning against one of the poles, waiting for him.

"How'd you get up here so fast?" asked Po.

"I had to bail. It was a trap," replied Dai. "I started running back immediately. There are more ways up here than the stairs, you know."

"Yeah, awful ones."

Dai shrugged. "Come on. Let's get inside."

The night seemed to go by peacefully, but Po was roused from his sleep by the sounds of fighting. He realized it was coming from Tigress's room. He threw open the door to his room, then hers, only to find Tigress was not in the room.

Dai came to his side and started inspecting the scene. "Wolves did this," she said.

"Why would they take Tigress?" asked Po.

"My pack most likely did this. They're the only wolves I know with a vendetta against tigers. We resent tigers for, generally, being stronger and more respected than us." Dai looked bitter at this. "They don't want a ransom for her either. They will most likely kill her."

"How'd they catch her so quickly though? Tigress is one of the best kung fu masters I know."

"Where there is a will, there is a way. They probably drugged her. They'll keep her in their camp for a few days, maybe weeks, depending on how angry they are. We never did give tigers quick deaths."

"Dai… have you ever-"

"No. But with how little I tried to stop them, I might as well have." Her face looked thoughtful before she jumped out of the hole in the wall and into the night.

Po followed. "We should get the others. We're going to need the help."

"We don't have to fight, Po. Let me reason with them." She picked up a stick and drew something in the dirt. "This is where they're most likely camped. If not, head north until you reach snow. Father likes the mountains. It makes us feel stronger."

"I'm not letting you do this alone, Dai."

"Why?"

"Because I'm the Dragon Warrior. It's what I do."

Dai sighed. "Fine. Just, please, let's talk with them first."

"You got it."

They ran off. Unbeknownst to them, Master Shifu and the rest of the Furious Five had also made it to Tigress's room. "We're too late!" said Monkey.

"Who would take Tigress?" asked Viper.

Shifu picked up a tuft of gray fur. "Wolf fur. Most likely, Daiyu's pack has kidnapped Tigress," he said.

"What do they want from her? Are they going to ask for a ransom?" asked Crane.

"No. If I'm right, we need to get going _now._ Wolves have never gotten along well with tigers. They're most likely going to kill her," said Shifu.

"Should we get Po and Dai?" asked Viper.

"No. I don't want either of them involved. They're not going to be able to do what needs to be done," said Shifu. They all regretfully nodded. It was a sad thing, having to fight Dai's family. Yet, it was still almost expected for wolves to do things like this.

Dai and Po, meanwhile, were running across the countryside. "Hey! Hold up!" panted Po.

Dai was panting as well. "We don't have a lot of time here, Po," she said.

"I'm coming… just need to rest a little bit."

"Fine, you rest, I'll keep going." Dai ran off and Po let out a disgruntled groan before following her.

Meanwhile, with Dai's pack, they were transporting a knocked-out Tigress across the snowy mountains. Dai's father stopped to look down at the horizon. With his staff in hand and a sinister smile, he knew what was coming and he knew he would get what he wanted. Dai's brother turned to him and said, "Do you think Dai will come?"

"Of course she will," replied Dai's father. "She's smart enough to know this is a trap, but she must also realize how serious this is. She will come back to us and follow our ways soon enough."

They continued their climb through the mountains until they reached a hidden fortress in a cavern. It was made of metal and wood. There were icicles everywhere and all of the metal was covered in a thin sheen of ice. Snow came down hard and the wind blew through the cavern. It was cold and very little light was able to get in. It was a place made by wolves for wolves. It was in this cavern that Dai's father knew that his daughter would make the biggest decision of her life... and he would make sure she chose correctly.

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 **Things are starting to heat up… or get cold :P Anyway, I hope you will all please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)**

 **P.S. Any ideas for names for Dai's father and brother? Input would be appreciated. Thanks!**


	8. Chapter 8: Final Trust

Chapter 8: Final Trust

Tigress awoke to cell bars and a few eyes gleaming in the semi-darkness. "She's awake," said one.

"Light more torches then. Let her see who we are," said another, older voice.

More torches were lit and the elder approached, a staff aiding his stride. "Master Tigress, I am Lang. Welcome to our home." He stood before the bars now beside the first one who had spoken. "This is my son, Ling." Ling merely stared.

"Why am I here?" asked Tigress.

"Isn't it obvious? You're a tiger, we're wolves. You are beloved and respected, we are hated and we are outcasts. Do you understand? We are both ferocious creatures that could survive at the top of the chain, yet here we are: tigers receive so many… _points_ , it seems, for what you are, just as wolves get put down for what we are," said Lang.

"Well, you certainly aren't helping improve your status," said Tigress.

Lang laughed. "That would be something my daughter would say. Then, _I_ would tell her that it is not our fault for our continual suffering. All around China, there are so many people that others look up to for strength, guidance. If you ask someone who is not a wolf to come up with a wolf's name, it will not occur. Despite the many _good_ impacts we have had on China, we are only remembered for the bad ones since those are the ones that seem to be the most _popular_." He spat at the last word.

"Look, I know what it's like to be hated. Really, I do," said Tigress.

"You don't!" He slammed against the bars forcefully. "We know your story, Master Tigress. Orphaned at a young age, no one accepted you, no one wanted you. When you _were_ adopted, by a revered figure of China, I might add, you had to be respected. They might have feared you, they might have felt an envy for your position, but there was never hate for what you were. Tigers are the most revered creatures in all of China. No matter what any individual does, they will always be respected. Wolves, on the other hand, no matter how hard we _all_ work to redeem ourselves, it will always be the actions of the individual that destroy us."

"And now you have brought that judgement down on your daughter. I mean, unless you wanted…" Upon looking at Lang closely, she knew it was true. "You _wanted_ her to be hated."

"You wouldn't understand how our family works, Master Tigress."

"If you really want her back, this is not the way."

"She will _never_ be truly accepted."

"Father?" came a voice.

Lang turned. "Daiyu," he said.

"You just cannot bring yourself to suffer alone. You have to bring your whole family down with you," said Dai.

"Don't start this again. It is not my fault she's gone."

"She wanted to be _free,_ Dad. She tried everything in her power to make us the best of ourselves so that we could _live._ "

"We _are_ living, Daiyu. We are living as a family, if you'll allow it."

"We're not living, Dad! We're just not dying." She was in tears now. "I can't believe what you do to your own pack. We can't talk to anyone else, because everyone else hates us… and it's all because of _you._ "

"Daiyu…be careful with what you say to me."

"I'm done, Dad. I will always love you and I will always love our pack… but I will never go back to running from life because of hate. I want to _live_ , Dad. Please. Stop this. We _can_ get through this. We _can_ be a family. Please."

Her father turned from her and her brother, Ling, seemed to be caught in the middle. "If that is your choice, then you are no longer a part of this pack. Look to see us no longer." He began walking away to a further part of the cave.

"Father? Father! Dad, please! I can't… _please…_ I just _can't._ "

"Dai?" asked Po.

"I'm okay…" she told Po. "Ling? Please. This has to stop."

"You're just like Mom. She always got in our way," said Ling.

"No, Ling, she stood up for what was right. She wanted us to be equals with all other species. She didn't want us to keep being hated. The only thing that makes people hate us is us," said Dai.

Ling sighed. "I have to go. Dad already lost two family members. I don't want him to lose one more." He walked away, but not before leaving a small set of keys on a nearby hook.

Dai noticed what he did and gave a small smile. She grabbed the keys and went up to Tigress. "You can hate my father if you want to. He brings it upon himself… but stop hating those of us who actually try. Not any one group of people is any better or worse than another. _We are equals,_ " said Dai. She opened the cell door and Tigress walked out.

"I'm sorry, Daiyu. I just…" Tigress sighed. "Anyone with honor should be able to see people the way you see them, Dai. We _are_ all equals… I should have been able to put prejudice aside."

"Yeah, you weren't exactly a great example to the villagers," Dai replied with a sly wink. "Look, people look up to you guys as kung fu masters and, as such, you need to set the best example you can."

"I promise, from now on, that's what we'll do." Tigress put out a hand and Dai took it and shook it.

"Come on, you guys, we better get out of here before they find out you've escaped," said Po. They both nodded and they left.

On the way back, they ran into the rest of the Furious Five and Master Shifu. Tigress stood in front of Dai, as did Po. Then, Tigress approached Master Shifu and told him what happened.

Shifu sighed. "Daiyu," he beckoned her forward. She stepped forward and gave a small bow. "Thank you for saving Tigress. It means a lot… and… on behalf of the Jade Palace, I apologize for the disrespect that you've been receiving. It's time we show the villagers who you really are… and not who your kind is."

Dai knelt down and seized the small master in a hug. "Thank you. That's all I could ask for," she said. She let him go and smiled before getting to her feet again. "Well, I better get going."

"What?" asked Po. "Where? Aren't you coming back with us?"

"It wouldn't be fair," she said.

"No, what wouldn't be fair would be to let you go when you have nowhere _to_ go."

"If you'll have me, then I will go with you… but there's something I have to take care of first."

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 **That's all for now. Sorry for the slow updates. I am going to try to get at least one chapter posted for each of my stories each month. I started this and I will finish it, so don't worry ;)**

 **Please keep reading and reviewing until then. Thank you! :)**


	9. Chapter 9: Unexpected

Chapter 9: Unexpected

Daiyu was in a dangerous part of China: the Dark Woods. She was there to talk to some traders in magic. She needed to shed her past. To do so, she had to get rid of her magic.

"Hello?" she called out into the fog.

"Daiyu… we were expecting you…" said a voice. Dai turned around, but she didn't see anyone. "Ahem." She turned back and saw a pig standing there. It took her a second to figure out that the pig was a woman since she was a little… _unkempt_ and had a giant mole.

"Can you take my ability from me?" asked Dai.

"Of course, but one cannot simply take out magic, especially out of someone who has had it for so long. We need to replace it with something else."

"I don't _want_ anything else. I want to be normal."

"Whatever for?"

"It's just important to me."

She shrugged. "You do realize who would want this magic, don't you?"

"I…" Dai had forgotten about _them_. "There has to be another way."

"Fine then. Perhaps I can just put your magic in this necklace." She pulled out a silver chain with a light blue gemstone. "This will contain your magic until you need it. Wear it and you will not suffer the ill effects of being without magic for just a few days, then place it somewhere where you know it will be safe."

"What's the price?"

"A lock of hair from your true love."

"I don't love anybody though."

"Not yet… but you will." There was a silence for a moment. Then, she said, "I'll give this to you and then I shall go and collect it."

"Fine. Works for me." She handed the necklace to Dai, but before she could take it, the woman had one final warning.

"This has a price greater than what you are paying for it. Be ready to pay it someday."

"It won't come to that."

"That's what they all say." Dai took the necklace. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

By the time Dai looked up from the necklace, the woman was already gone. Dai put it around her neck and instantly felt drained. _I had no idea it'd be this quick or drastic,_ she thought. Suddenly the walk back seemed much farther and longer. She sighed and started her trek.

By morning, Dai had made it to the Valley of Peace. She dreaded the trip up the stairs to the Jade Palace, but she didn't have to make the trip this time. Just as she was standing at their base considering them, she heard a voice behind her.

"Dai!" It was Po.

She turned around and said, "Oh, hey, Po."

His expression went from happy to concerned at seeing how tired she looked. "Have you been out all night?" he asked.

"I guess I got lost on the way back here," she lied. She had the necklace hidden away, so there was no need to bring that up. The last thing she wanted was for everyone to call her out for using dark magic right after saying they trusted her. _It's not_ _technically_ _dark magic,_ she reasoned.

"Come on. Let's go to my dad's. It's closer than _up there_ ," said Po. "Dad keeps my room for me. There are a lot of days where I just… stay down here and sleep in my old room."

"To avoid the climb?"

"Stairs are my old enemy. I will not give them the satisfaction of showing them that they have me beat." He said this so seriously, but Dai couldn't help but laugh.

"So, how often do you do that?"

"More often than you'd think," Po replied with a wink. Dai laughed again.

When they arrived at Mr. Ping's, the goose was cleaning up. "Oh, Daiyu. Welcome back! It's so nice to see that Po found you," he said.

"You were going to go look for me?" asked Dai.

"Of course. You were taking longer to get back than we thought you were gonna, so I figured something might have happened. I had to make sure you were okay…" said Po. "'Cause, you know, that's what friends do!" he added.

 _Why did he feel the need to add that?_ thought Dai. _Does he like me?_ It would be a lie if she said she didn't have some regard for him, especially since he was the first to really see her as a person and not the stereotypical wolf.

"Daiyu? Are you doing all right?" asked Mr. Ping.

"I'm all right. I think I'm just tired is all," replied Dai.

"You should have some soup too. You look famished!" said Mr. Ping.

"I couldn't, really. I just need some sleep," Dai insisted. _Careful, your weakness is showing,_ she thought.

"Use Po's room. He's going back up the stairs today," said Mr. Ping.

"Yep. See you later, Dai. Sleep well!" said Po, walking away. When I looked back at Mr. Ping, he looked like he had seen the impossible become possible.

"Hmm…" was all he said. He said no more, just guided me to where Po's room was. "Come down when you're feeling rested."

"Thank you, Mr. Ping, for your kindness and hospitality," said Dai with a respectful bow.

"No, thank _you_. Po should really be climbing those stairs more often." Dai smiled at the humor of the statement. "Sleep well. If you need anything, I'm just downstairs."

"Thank you, this is fine." He bowed out of the room and Dai collapsed to the bed, then fell in.

"He certainly broke this bed in," Dai noted. The bed was caved in to where her backside was nearly touching the floor. After a few minutes of trying to get comfortable, she found a position that worked. She fell into a dreamless sleep.

It was lunchtime by the time Po made it back up the stairs to the Jade Palace. He gasped out from exhaustion and collapsed on the top step. Tigress walked by and said, "I thought you wouldn't be back until dinner. Did you find Daiyu?"

"Yeah," Po panted out. "She was tired, so I let her sleep in my room."

Tigress shook her head in disbelief. "You let her sleep in your room?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Nothing… it just doesn't sound like something you'd do."

"Well, excuse me for doing something nice for Dai."

"It's not… never mind." Tigress walked away. _This is certainly unexpected,_ thought Tigress.

 _What's wrong with everybody today? It's not that big of a deal. Is it?_ Thought Po. He couldn't stop thinking about it for the rest of the day.

* * *

 **That's all for now. Please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)**


	10. Chapter 10: Getting Closer

Chapter 10: Getting Closer

Dai awoke with a start. "Well… that was unexpected…" She had one dream during her sleep and it hadn't been a dream she had been expecting. "I need some air." She went down the stairs and walked into the main street. She heaved a sigh and ran her fingers across her scalp.

As she stood there, leaning against the wall, she held the necklace in her hand. Her magical singing ability had been put into it. She then considered where she would put it and, if needed, how to get it out again. She didn't need this overpowered ability. She just wanted to _be_ , for once in her life.

"Like that would happen," she said with a sigh. She decided, though, that there was only one good place to keep it. The Jade Palace housed a collection of forbidden and sacred objects. It would be the perfect place for it. Having decided this, she made the climb up the mountain.

When she had sufficiently hidden it, she began making her way back, but stopped when she glanced at the barracks. It had been early afternoon the last time she had seen Po, yet she missed him. "I don't need anyone," she reasoned. _But I want someone._ She made her way to the kitchen and started brainstorming some ideas.

The following morning, Po and the rest of the masters awoke to the smell of food. Allured by the aroma, they went to the kitchen where Dai was putting the finishing touches on the meal. "Good morning," she greeted.

"Morning," they greeted.

They had a pleasant breakfast, with everyone talking and carrying on like they normally would. Dai felt appreciated to be accepted. Po nudged her and said, "I'm glad to see you're okay. You looked pretty drained yesterday."

"Yeah, well, a good bit of sleep was all I needed," she said.

"You should stay up here with us," said Po.

Everyone went quiet and Dai's ears went down, sensing the statement was not a mutual agreement. "She may stay," said Shifu, breaking the silence. Everyone else seemed on board with it and Dai sighed in relief.

"Thank you, masters, you have been so gracious to me. I am undeserving," said Dai, bowing.

"You've proven yourself to be honest and trustworthy. That seems deserving to me," said Tigress. Everyone else looked at her, surprised. It was rare for her to be vocally positive about something, even if it was true.

Later that day, Dai went back to the kitchen to cook dinner. Po found her and said, "You don't have to do that every time, you know. You're gonna make them forget what an awesome cook I am."

"I want to share in the responsibilities. I will, however, offer my ladle to you, mighty Dragon Warrior," said Dai.

"Was that sarcasm?"

"Maybe." Her eyes were playful and Po put an arm around her. She jumped at the unexpected contact.

Po pulled back. "Sorry to startle you. Have you never had anyone do that before?"

"It's just… been a while since someone thought about getting that close to me." Her face got hot as she remembered her dream. She shook her head to get it out of her mind.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, totally."

It was silent for a moment before Po said, "We could take turns making meals."

"That'd be cool."

"For now, is there anything I can do to help?"

"Sure."

Weeks passed by and it seemed as if any prejudice against Dai was nothing but a distant memory. She got along well and learned about everyone in the village. She had found a family bond that she had long since forgotten could exist among a people. More importantly, she trained with the other masters and helped out on some missions. She was never sent on a mission without Po though. She vaguely wondered if ill feelings persisted or if he just liked her that much.

Dai had begun thinking about Po more and more and dreamt about him to the point she'd get flustered when she saw him. She didn't like how awkward the first few minutes back with Po always were. It wasn't helping that they shared a room, (two separate beds, but still).

She'd watch him when she thought he wasn't looking. His fighting was so impeccable, as if the universe really did give him the power and he was merely a vessel for those skills. Then, other times, he would be so clumsy, she'd wonder if he really was a different person fighting than just going around town. Yet, he was always Po. He always had some awesome one-liner before going into a fight. Quips to either increase his fame or annoy the bad guy or boost his ego always occurred.

One day, they got sent on a mission together, just the two of them. Dai couldn't help being nervous or awkward. He'd tell her he'd protect her. He'd hold her back with his paw. Just being near him, she could feel his aura of strength and confidence and then he'd look at her with those eyes and that smile.

He was talking to her now, of that she was aware. Something about a dude with a _really_ long name and the danger of being here uninvited, but he was a bad guy and a smug slow clapper. "You ready?" She made out those words the best since he had finished talking.

"What? I'm so sorry. I was spacing out, I, uh…" she spluttered for words.

He grabbed her cheeks and looked into her eyes, making it worse. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

"No, I-"

"Are you hungry?"

"No."

"Thirsty?"

"No."

"Did you get enough sleep?"

"Too much."

"Well, maybe for you. I never feel like I've had enough sleep." He pulled away to look around the rock they were hiding behind.

"Stress?"

"That was gonna be my next question." He turned his attention back to her, his green eyes searching. "You can tell me what's wrong… can't you?"

She felt her face heat up and she looked away. "Well, I…" She brought her tail around, fluffing it absentmindedly.

"Is it me?"

She started and looked at him. He looked just about crushed when they made eye contact. "Po, I like you, really. It's not your fault, you did nothing wrong. I'm just not comfortable with talking about it yet."

"So… we're still friends?"

 _Ah. That's right. That's how he sees me. Of course, that's what I've been and I'm not going to force the issue otherwise._ "If that's what you want." _My big mouth._ She internally scolded herself.

"What do you mean?"

"Po, I-" She could not continue, for she had been shot with a knockout dart from behind. Before Po could do anything, he also got one in the neck. Their hunted had become the hunter.

* * *

 **That's all for now. I apologize for the huge hiatus. I haven't been feeling inspired lately. I do intend to finish this and hopefully it won't take too long. Please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)**


	11. Chapter 11: Of Cabbages and Reputations

Chapter 11: Of Cabbages and Reputations

Po and Dai awoke in a dark dungeon chained to the wall. Smiling smugly at them was Jong, an old foe of Po's. He had a reputation for being harsh in his punishments, especially with those who trespassed on his land.

"Daiyu, long time no see, my friend," said Jong.

"You two know each other?" asked Po, surprised.

"Yeah, well, my pack might have crossed paths with him on occasion," said Dai.

"Yes, wolves have an uncanny knack for getting in my way." His voice was calm, but his look was seething.

"Look, whatever problems we may have had in the past, maybe we can look past them for a better future?" asked Dai.

"Let me think, uh… no!" said Jong.

"Look, Jong, leave Dai out of this," said Po.

"No! You have _both_ trespassed on my land, so you must _both_ be punished!" said Jong. "And _do not_ call me 'Jong.' That is my name with friends and you two are not my friends, my friends," said Jong.

Dai and Po both groaned. His full name, while fun to say, was _so long._ Jong Sung Jai Kai Chow. "That's what I like to hear. Now, bring the devices!" he called out to an assistant of his. A cart was rolled into the room with a variety of strange torture devices. He picked up a strange drill and its ominous whirring filled the room.

"Don't you wanna know why we're here?" asked Dai. Jong stopped his device briefly.

"If I _cared_ why people trespassed on my land, I wouldn't have put up the signs. I wouldn't have boiled their heads with cabbage and stretched their earlobes around their heads," said Jong.

"Oh, so you actually do those things?" asked Dai, her tone sarcastic.

Jong sputtered. "Yes! Who do you think I am?!"

Dai pretended to go into deep thought. "Jong Sung Jai Kai Cow?" she asked.

"Yes. What? No! I am a _Takin_. Do I look like a cow to you?!"

"Yeah."

"Dai, what are you doing?!" asked Po. He had been watching this unfold and watching Jong get madder and madder. _Why is she doing this? If she doesn't stop, she's really gonna get hurt._

"Be quiet, Panda!" Jong shouted. In a sinister low tone, he said, "Daiyu, I think it's time you and I have that private talk you promised me for."

"I'm game," Dai replied.

Jong signaled his assistants and they took Dai's chains off the wall. Then, Dai, still chained, was escorted out of the room. Jong flashed a malicious smile toward Po. Po protested, "Wait! Stop! Don't hurt her!"

Dai was dragged back into the room sometime later with small wounds and bruises. She was slumped where she lay. Jong set a foot into a pressure point on her back and she wheezed in pain. "Remember this moment, the next time you decide to slander me," he said. He kicked her across the room and she lay against the wall, unmoving. "We have to go clean up. Tomorrow's your turn, Panda."

Po shook in silent rage. Jong left, laughing. When he left, Dai slowly started getting up. She gripped the wall and shakily made her way over to Po.

"Dai… what did he do to you?" asked Po, his voice soft and worried.

"I'm all right, Po. I got the keys," she said, presenting a ring of small keys. She unlocked Po and he dropped to the ground.

"Ah! Numb feet! Numb feet!" said Po. After a few steps, his feet weren't tingly anymore. Dai, however, wasn't going to so easily recover.

"We had to recover a prisoner, yes?" asked Dai.

"Yeah, but maybe we should head back."

"No. We have to finish this. Come on." She stumbled across the room to where Po stood. She stumbled into him and he caught her.

"Dai, you're hurt."

"I know. I just didn't want you to get hurt. Besides, I got the key to free you and the prisoners. Now, we can grab who we need to and get out of here. That's all that matters."

"Dai-"

"We're not discussing this further. Let's go." She took a deep breath and opened the door. "Follow me, I found the prisons earlier."

They sneaked down the hall past guards and patrolmen. When they reached the prisons, they found a few crocodiles looking sad and a little afraid. These were the Croc Bandits, along with their leader, Fung. "Hey, Po; Hey, Girl," greeted Fung.

"Hey, Guys," Po returned.

Dai, meanwhile, was looking into the other cells at the other prisoners. "Po, we need to free all of them," said Dai. "No one should be a prisoner here."

"Yeah, okay," Po replied. Dai unlocked all the cells and they ran out as quickly and quietly as they could. Po marveled at how well Dai was taking her pain. She looked a lot more hurt than she was acting.

Once they got outside the border of Jong's land, the other prisoners ran free. Fung and his bandits stayed behind with Po and Dai. "Hey, thanks for freeing us from Jong. That guy's a nut job," said Fung.

"No problem. We were wondering where you guys went. No one had seen you guys for a while. What were you doing back in Jong's land?" asked Po.

"Well, we weren't trying to steal from him, that's for sure," said Fung. He was obviously lying by how much he was fidgeting.

"Fung, don't you remember what happened the last time you tried to take Jong's kid?" asked Po.

"We weren't trying to take Jong's kid this time, honest!" said Fung.

"We were trying to take the gold he got from the wolves," said Gahri.

Fung threw his helmet down. "Darn it, Gary, what did I tell you about telling people about our plans?!"

"Wait, which wolves?" asked Dai.

"Does it matter? They're all the same anyway," said Fung. Dai sent him a cold glare and he said instead, "I mean, so many wolves we know are thieves, but I'm sure they're not all that way."

"I actually can't think of any wolves who _aren't_ thieves. I mean, you got the Lin Kuei, the Black Jade," said Gahri, listing. Dai didn't say anything about her clan actually _being_ the Black Jade. _It's probably better I don't mention that,_ she thought.

Fung grabbed his helmet with the intention of throwing it at Gahri, but stopped when Po spoke. "Dai lives with the Five and me at the Jade Palace. She goes on kung fu missions with us and helps us nab the bad guys."

"Wow, that's really cool. Nice to see a wolf be scary in another area," said Fung.

"And it's nice to see a croc that isn't a kung fu master," said Dai.

"Touché," said Gahri. "She's really clever."

"Yeah, whatever, really clever and all that," said Fung dismissively.

Dai started walking off in a different direction. "Dai? Where you going?" asked Po.

"I'm thirsty. There's a river this way," said Dai. The crocs and Po followed. While she was hunched over, drinking water in the river with cupped hands, Po got a good look at Dai's cuts and bruises.

"We should camp here for tonight," said Po.

"I can make it home," said Dai.

"Dai, you need to get those wounds taken care of," said Po.

"I'm fine." She stood up, but stumbled toward the ground. Po caught her before she fell and set her against a tree next to the water.

"Dai, it's okay. We'll stop here and head out in the morning."

Dai sighed. "There's no convincing you, is there?"

"Well, I mean… we ran a long way. We could use the rest; that way, we can make it all the better tomorrow." He smiled at her and they both understood the hidden meaning behind it. He was doing this for her. Dai smiled back. "Now, I'm gonna go get firewood and you just rest there."

Po went off to get firewood and Fung followed. Once they were out of earshot, Fung said, "Dude, she likes you."

"What?! No way! I mean, we're just friends," said Po, flustered.

"Po, I've seen what girls look like when they like guys and that's it." He paused as Po processed this. "It's pretty obvious you guys like each other."

"I mean… we have gotten close, but…" Po shook his head. "There's no way that can happen."

"Why not?"

"If we started dating, then she'd be in danger."

"No more than she is already as a wolf." Po wondered at that. "Look, Po, I'm not gonna tell you what to do, but I think you two could be together. _Should_ be together. You looked happy back there. Take that."

They didn't say much more. Po absorbed the information, thinking it through. _Maybe… maybe we should get together…_ He didn't want to see her get hurt again, but at the same time, he knew how capable she was to take care of herself. _I'll… I'll give it some time. I have to think this through._

Fung and Po brought back a lot of firewood for the campsite. Gahri and the other crocs had some medicine and wraps. They let Po use them on Dai. It was pretty quiet between Dai and Po. They were careful. Neither wanted the other to know of their feelings, because they wanted to be sure it would be okay. Right now? It was not what they needed. They were sure of that. And yet… maybe it would be okay. Time would tell.

* * *

 **A few more character inserts for you ;) I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)**


	12. Chapter 12: Loud Silence

Chapter 12: Loud Silence

During the next few weeks, Dai and Po were quiet around each other. They only said what was necessary, which usually involved a lot of apologies for clumsiness. They were both trying hard to not let the other know about their feelings. Everyone else, on the other hand, seemed to see the picture pretty clearly.

During a normal mission, Po and Dai were fighting the pigs, Bao and his two companions, common thieves. They were kinda reputable for their… dimness. However, even _they_ caught onto the fact that Dai was tripping over herself and trying to avoid Po like the plague while Po kept staring at her for too long and tripping over himself.

"What's going on?" asked Bao.

"Maybe they're sick or something," suggested one of the others.

"If that's true, we better get outta here," said the third. They dropped what they had stolen and ran off.

Of course, this earned a good scolding from Shifu when they got back to the Jade Palace. "We're sorry, Master Shifu. It won't happen again," said Po.

"Yeah. All professional from here on out," said Dai.

"I know that. Which is why I am not allowing the two of you to be partnered on missions anymore," said Shifu.

"What?" asked Po, shocked.

"Master, please reconsider, this is all my fault," said Dai.

"My decision is made. Unless you two can start working together again like kung fu masters, you won't _be_ allowed to work together," said Shifu.

Dai shook and felt her eyes sting with possible tears. Instead, she bowed and said, "Yes, Master Shifu," and left the room without another word.

From that day on, whenever Po was in the room, Dai left. Po, on the other hand, didn't want to avoid her. He wanted to be with her again.

A little over a week had passed since Shifu made his declaration to them. Po was sitting on the steps of the training hall looking glum. Monkey came by and said, "Hey, Buddy, why so down?"

"Ugh, it's this stupid order Shifu gave Dai and I about not going on missions together anymore. Ever since he said that, Dai's been avoiding me. I don't understand," said Po. "I thought we were friends."

"I'm sure she'll come back around in no time. She's probably just trying to follow orders," said Monkey.

"I would too, but… I really miss being around her."

"She's your buddy, huh?" Monkey teased, elbowing Po.

"She's my best friend! Well, I mean, next to you guys, of course."

Little did Po and Monkey know, but Dai had been listening. She stepped out from behind one of the pillars. Sensing someone there, Po and Monkey both turned toward her.

"Dai, hey! Don't go, we should hang out again. I know we can't go on missions anymore, but that doesn't mean we can't still be friends," said Po.

"Friends… is that what I am to you?" asked Dai.

Po couldn't place why she spoke like that, exactly. Even _he_ wasn't sure of the answer he gave: "Well, yeah."

"Huh." Dai put a hand over her heart and looked down, downcast. "That hurt more than I thought it would," she said quietly. She leaped over their heads and started running.

"Dai, wait!" Po called out.

He ran after her, as best as he could. She was going pretty fast for him though. She ran, tears in her eyes, on all fours. She ran until she reached the Dragon Grotto. Being far ahead from Po, she hid behind the dragon there.

Po got there a short time later, out of breath. "Dai!" he called out. He was wheezing from the run. He put his hands on his knees and took a few deep breaths. "Dai!" She didn't respond.

Po called out again, "Dai, I know you're here! Come on!"

Dai's tears fell softly. She didn't respond. Neither could see the other, but they sensed each other nonetheless.

"Dai… I don't know what's been going on lately," said Po. He took a seat on a rock in the middle of the pool. He sat flat on the ground, his legs spread out. He didn't look at anything in particular. "It's hard to explain…"

Dai's ears perked up. _What does he mean?_

"I didn't really know what I was feeling. I've… I've never _really_ been in love before, I don't think. I've liked other girls before, but this… this _feels_ different. I don't know how to explain it.

"I've been having trouble sleeping lately. I know you've been avoiding me lately, but I always try to see you at least once every day, because I'm so afraid…" He paused. "I'm so afraid that one day you might not be there. I've… I've never felt anything quite like this before.

"When you're around, you're all I can look at. When you talk, I listen. I've become amazed at the person you are… even though there are a lot of people who _still_ look at you as just a wolf, just a thief, a bad guy, you always come through. You always prove them wrong… and I find that _so amazing_ about you, Dai.

"I never got to know my mom. I never got to see a lot of people acting like a couple in my life. The whole concept is so different to me. I… I know now that I don't want to be just friends though. I just said that because I didn't know what else to say.

"I just wish you would talk to me," he concluded quietly. Po felt a few tears fall. He looked into the water and saw a reflection of the dragon and Dai looking right at him. He turned and looked at her.

"Why'd you stop? You were just getting to the good part," said Dai jokingly. She was crying just as much as he was.

They both laughed then. Dai leapt into his arms and he caught her and spun her around. He set her down, but didn't let go. It was the closest they had been in a while. They both felt a little embarrassed.

"I-I don't know what else to say," said Po, smiling widely.

Dai laughed. "Do you really want me to be the one to say it first?" Po laughed at that. "Because I'd much rather hear it from you."

There was no sound then. They stared into each other's eyes. Dai had her hands on his shoulders and Po had his right hand on her back and his left hand on the right side of her face. They were looking at each other, still a little scared to say the words out loud.

"I, uh…" Po said. "You really want me to be the one to say it?" He was blushing like mad now.

Dai seemed to match him, but it was harder to see due to her black fur. She just replied to him with a nod.

Po took a shaky deep breath to try to calm down. Their hearts were racing. He hugged her closer and whispered in her ear, so quiet it was lucky she had good hearing. " _I love you._ "

Dai smiled and let out a few shaky sobs of relief. Po was panicked for a second and pulled back to look at her. "Did I say something wrong?!" he asked, taking her face in his hands, concerned.

"No, Po," she replied with a smile. "I'm just happy, because I love you too."

They both laughed joyfully. Po hugged her close and they both cried. He picked her up and whirled her around again. All of the tension, the awkwardness, the silence, could end now. This marked a new beginning.

* * *

 **'Bout time those two got together. Feels like they've been working up to this for years lol. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and stay tuned for the next. It's not over yet ;) Please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :D**

 **Also, please check out the new poll on my profile page. Choose carefully, you can only pick one ;)**


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